Former Grand Mufti of Lebanon Mohammed Rashid Qabbani Issues Fatwa: It Is an Islamic Duty to Wage Jihad to Liberate Palestine from the "Foreign Jewish Occupiers," All Peace Agreements with Them Null and Void Former Grand Mufti of Lebanon Mohammed Rashid Qabbani issued a fatwa according to which Palestinians and all Arabs and Muslims have a duty to wage Jihad "to liberate Palestine from the occupation of the Jews of the Balfour Declaration." Sheikh Qabbani compared the liberation of Palestine today to the Jihad waged by the Prophet Muhammad, by Omar ibn Al-Khattab, and by Saladin, and declared that Islam forbids the Palestinians and all Arab and Muslim countries "to surrender, to reconcile, to make peace treaties, or to concede a single inch of Arab Palestinian land to the foreign Jewish occupiers." Sheikh Qabbani's address aired on Al-Mayadeen TV on May 16.

Hamas Leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar: We Are Coordinating with Hizbullah, Iran on an Almost Daily BasisHamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar said, in an interview with the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV channel, that with the help of Iran, Hamas has managed to significantly develop its capabilities. Sinwar added that Iran has provided Hamas’s Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades and other Gaza factions "a lot of money, equipment, and expertise." He further said that his organization had "excellent" relations with Hizbullah and that there is coordination on an "almost daily" basis between the two organizations, and described Hamas’s relations with Iran, the IRGC, and Qasem Solimani as "strong and warm." The interview aired on May 21.

Following engineer’s death in Malaysia, Hamas supporters debate action against Israel

Dr. Fadi Al-Batsh’s killing and statements by Hamas political bureau head Isma’il Haniya that “the battle with Israel has moved outside the occupied lands” sparked a debate on whether Hamas should act against Israel outside Gaza; to date, its policy has been to refrain from doing so.

(May 1, 2018 / MEMRI) On April 21, Palestinian engineer Dr. Fadi Al-Batsh was killed in a drive-by motorcycle shooting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat wrote that he was an outstanding researcher, expert in electrical engineering and rocket manufacture. It added that he had been living in Malaysia for a decade, after being sent there by Hamas to complete his studies, that he was acting secretly on behalf of Hamas, and that this was known to only a few Hamas leaders.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad official Khaled Al-Batsh, a relative of Batsh, accused the Israeli Mossad of assassinating him. Hamas itself accused Israel of assassinating him, describing him in its announcement of his death as “one of [Hamas’s] righteous knights and sons.”

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During a condolence visit to the family’s home in the city of Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip, Hamas political bureau head Isma’il Haniya called on the Malaysian government to investigate the murder, noting that doing so would “reveal the involvement of the Mossad organization in the assassination.” He added that those behind the killing “will certainly yet pay the price,” and added “the battle with Israel has moved outside the occupied lands.”

At an April 26, Hamas military ceremony at the Rafah crossing to receive Batsh’s body, Haniya said: “The criminal hands sent against the martyr Al-Batsh will be cut off.”

Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya said at the ceremony: “Oh occupation, the accounts between us have become heavy. The day of punishment will necessarily come.” Hamas official Osama Hamdan said that Hamas would closely follow the murder investigation conducted by the Malaysian authorities, but also stressed: “We in Hamas know that Israel is targeting Arab and Palestinian scientists.”

From the Hamas Interior Ministry photo album of the military reception for Batsh’s body at the Rafah crossing (Source: Moi.gov.ps/Home/Gallery_Photo/114415, April 26, 2018.

Batsh’s killing, and Haniya’s statements that “the battle with Israel has moved outside the occupied lands,” sparked a debate within Hamas on the question of whether it, too, should act against Israel outside Gaza; to date, its declared policy has been to refrain from doing so. The Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, which is close to Hezbollah, reported on April 23, that associates of Hamas were now seriously considering “moving some of the battle against the occupation outside of occupied Palestine.” However, the London daily Rai Al-Yawm, which is owned by Palestinian journalist Abd Al-Bari Atwan, assessed that most Hamas officials oppose anti-Israel activity abroad.

The argument within Hamas was reflected in articles published following Batsh’s killing on websites identified with the movement. Some writers argued that Hamas’s silence over the alleged assassinations of its scientists was encouraging Israel to continue killing them. They wrote that Hamas should respond in kind to Israel’s activity, that is, by harming Israeli interests and individuals abroad, since this was the best possible way to stop Israel from carrying out these killings. Others warned that Hamas activity against Israel abroad would likely boomerang, harming both Hamas and its relations with the countries in which it operates.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that voices within Hamas have called for also acting against Israel abroad; however, as noted, Hamas has not yet done so.

This report will review the arguments within Hamas for and against acting against Israel outside of Palestine.